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Boredom

How do we keep students engaged, or reengaged those who come to us cynical from their schooling experiences? These are important considerations if we want students to own their learning, or just be willing to join us along the journey to learn and grow.

At the heart of quality instructional and learning achievement is the planning process. How we consider learner needs, engagement, empowerment, and learning targets, help determine success. The core elements to effective instructional planning is simple and common sense. For many who read this, you will find affirmation of practice. For those who this is new, this approach is foundational to all highly effective (and the ordinary) instructional models for unit and lesson building.

3Q: Three Questions when Planning Effective Instruction

Step 1: Identify the learning target(s)

--What do you want students to know, understand, and be able to do?

Step 2: Shape an assessment that will show competency of the learning target(s)

--How will students demonstrate what they understand, and what they have not learned based on the learning target(s)?

Step 3: Unit/Lesson planning with a Differentiated Instructional mindset

--What scaffolded experiences will you include to support students who otherwise would fail?

--What complexity and/or depth of experiences will you include to support students who otherwise would learn little?

The first 2 questions are critical to shaping learning that is targeted to what learners need to understand and achieve. They enable for us to choose the best differentiation tools and activities to incorporate when building the lesson or unit (Step 3).

Notice in the following video, how in the teacher interview she addresses the 3Q and how the students' work is focused.

Differentiating Instruction to Meet the Needs of All Students

Response: (Please post in Comments section below)

How do the 3Q help (or will help) you develop instruction that is good for learners? 

Modules: Understanding | Exploration | Examples | Invitation | Reflection